It is known to provide portable cameras and other data or image gathering devices with cable to provide power to the device and to carry data to and from the device. As these devices have increased in image or data gathering capacity, greater demand for bandwidth to carry data to and from the devices has arisen. One way of providing this increased bandwidth is to use optical fiber for carrying data to and from the devices.
However, optical fiber may not be able to provide an adequate power supply for the devices, so it is still desirable to have copper or other metallic wires extending to the devices. Hybrid cables including both copper wires and optical fiber within a single cable have been used to meet the power and data transfer needs of these devices. Since the techniques and devices for terminating and connectorizing copper and fiber cables are quite different, new connectors or methods of connecting such hybrid cables to each have been developed. These known connectors do allow interconnection of cables and devices but require that the entire connector be replaced if any one element of the cable or connector are damaged. Common hybrid cables may include two or more optical fibers and one or more pairs of copper wires. If any of these wires or optical fibers, or the termination of these wires or optical fibers are damaged, the entire connector must be replaced and all of the wires and fibers reterminated.
Improvements to hybrid connectors are desirable.